Brush holder device



Dec.. 22, 1959 W, p GEE 2,917,800

BRUSH HOLDER DEVICE Filed oct. e, 195s United States Patent() BRUSHHOLDER DEVICE Wendell Philip Gee, Walled Lake, Mich., assigner toDetroit Centerless Grinding Co., Franklin, Mich., a corporation ofMichigan Application Getober 6, 1958, Serial No. 765,569

S Claims. (Cl. 24--251) This invention relates to a clamping device forholding articles such as paint brushes and which is adapted to berotated at high speed from a suitable power source to clean paint andsolvent from the brush by centrifugal force. The invention is directedparticularly to a device of this type having an improved clampingarrangement which holds the brush securely and centers the brush whenthe device is rotated at high speed by a portable electric drill unit orother source of rotary power.

A principal object of the invention is` to provide a new and improvedbrush cleaning accessory.

Another object of the invention is to provide a brush holding deviceadapted to support the brush for rotation on its axis for cleaning thebrush.

A further object of the invention is to provide a brush holding devicehaving a new and improved clamping means engageable with the brushhandle and which is adapted to be used with brush handles of varioussizes.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and claims and may be understood by reference tothe accompanying drawing, which by way of illustration shows a preferredembodiment of the invention and what I now consider to be the best modein which I have contemplated applying the principles of my invention.Other embodiments of the invention may be used Without departing fromthe scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the improved brush holder showingthe same attached to a source of rotary power such as a portableelectric drill;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational View of the brush holder;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to Fig. l but showing the clampingarms in their open position;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the clamping members; and

Fig. 6 is an end view of the clamping member shown in Fig. 5.

In Fig. l there is disclosed a portion of a portable electric drill 10having a chuck 12 for coupling the brush holding device i4 thereto tospin the same and thereby enable cleaning of a paint brush i6 clamped bythe brush holder 14. The brush holding device includes an externallythreaded shank 20 having a stern 22 adapted to be gripped by the chuck12 of the drill unit or other source of power. A pair of opposed arms 24and 26 of identical construction are pivotally connected at their innerends to one end of the shank 20 by means of a pin 28. As shown in Fig.4, each of the arms 24 and 26 has a generally arcuate cross section andis provided at its inner end with spaced ears 30 and 32 having aperturestherein through which the hinge pin 28 extends. The outer end of theshank 20 may be provided with ats 34 at opposite sides thereof againstwhich the ears 32 engage, with the ear 30 on each arm engaging the ear32 on the other arm.

A sleeve 40 is threaded onto the shank 20 and has outer end with a pairof ears Si) receiving a pin 52. A

clamp member 54 is pivotally mounted on the outer end of each arm bymeans of the pins 52. As shown in Figs.

5 and 6, the clamping members 54 each comprise a plate portion 60 havingits opposite ends inclined toward one side of the plate and oppositelydirected lugs 62 having apertures therein receiving the pin 52. Each ofthe inclined ends of the plate 60 is provided with an outwardly openingslot 64 dening a pair of clamping fingers 66 at one end of the plate anda similar pair of clamping iingers 68 at the other end of the plate.

The clamping elements 54 are identical in construction and the pivotaxis thereof is closer to the pair of fingers 68 than to the pair ofclamping fingers 66. The clamp` .l ing members 54 are mounted on thearms: 24 and 26 so that the clamping fingers 66 on one clamping elementare l outermost while the lingers 68 on the other clamping member areoutermost. With this construction the handle 70 of the brush 16 isengaged alternately on opposite sides thereof at spaced points along itslength to provide a very secure grip. The pivoted clamping members 54have a oating action on the ends of the: arms 24 and 26 to accommodatethemselves to brush handles of any size and of different cross-sectionalshapes. The brush handle is adapted to seat in the ends of the slots 64with the clamping fingers 66 and 68 straddling the brush handle. Whenthe device is used with brushes having relatively small handles, therewill be clamping engagement on the handle at at least four points, andfor larger diameter or other cross-sectional shaped handles the clampinglingers will provide engagement with the handle at eight differentplaces, thereby insuring secure gripping of the brush.

The end of the shank 20 is provided with a locating recess 72 adapted toreceive the end of the brush handle to center the same. The centeringrecess 72, together with the clamping arrangement described, willaccurately center the brush with the axis of the stem 22 to keep thebrush holder and the brush in balance during rotation thereof.

When it is desired to clean a paint brush or other similar article withthe use of the present invention, the brush is first dipped into asuitable solvent and is then clamped rmly by the clamping devicedescribed, which is then connected to a suitable source of rotary powerand rotated at a high speed to clean the paint and solvent from thebristles of the brush by centrifugal force. The brush holding devicedescribed herein is relatively simple `in construction and economical tomanufacture, light in weight, and easy to operate, thereby providing aneicient device for facilitating the cleaning and reconditioning of paintbrushes or the like.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is understood that this is capable of modification, and Itherefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth butdesire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall withinthe purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A brush holding device for a brush having an elongated handle,comprising an externally threaded shank, a pair of opposed arms pivotedon a common axis to one end of said shank for swinging movement towardand away from each other, a clamp member pivotally mounted on the otherend of each arm for pivotal movement on Patented Dec. 22, 1959 3 an`laxis" parallel to the' pivot axis of said arms, and an internallythreaded sleeve threaded onto said shank and engageable with said armsto force said arms and the clamp members carried thereby toward eachother into Clamping engagement with the handle of a brush upon threadingof said sleeve along said shank in one direction,

each` clamp member comprising a plate having its opposite ends inclinedfrom the plane of the plate in the same direction, said inclinedends ofsaid plate having outwardly opening slots therein defining a pair ofclamping fingers ateach end of the plate, said clamping iingers beingadapted to straddle the brush handle with the latter engaging the endsof said slots.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein each plate has its pivot axisdisposed closer to one of said pairs of clamping fingers than to theother of said pairs.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein the clamp members are mountedon said arms so that the clamping fingers on the two clamp membersalternately engage opposite sides of the brush handle along the lengththereof.

4.V A brush holding device for a brush having an elongated handle,comprising a shank, a pair of opposed arms pivotally connected at oneend to said shank for swinging movementtoward and away from each other,ya clamp member pivotally mounted on the other end of each arm forpivotal movement on an axis parallel to the pivot axis of said arms, andmeans cooperable with said shank and engageable with said arms to forcesaid arms and the" clamp members carried thereby toward each other intolclamping engagement with the handle of a brush, 3f,

said clamp members each comprising a plate having at each end thereof apair of clamping fingers inclined from ,4 the plate toward the opposingarm and adapted to receive the brush handle therebetween, the clampingfingers on one clamp member being offset lengthwise of the arms from theclamping lingers on the other clamp member. 5. A device according toclaim 4 wherein said clamp members each have their pivot axis disposedcloser to the pair of clamping ngers at one end of the plate than to theother pair, the' pair of clamping fingers closer to the pivot axis onone clamp member being disposed further from the pivot axis of said armsthan the other pair of fingers on said one clamp member, and thecorresponding pair of fingers on the other clamp member being disposedcloser to the pivot axis of said arms than the other pair of fingers onsaid other clamp member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS322,070 Rutan Iuly 14, 1885 411,153 Lafierty Sept. 17, 1889 661,677Taylor Nov. 13, 1900 712,239 Barrett Oct. 28, 1902 1,807,360 Wehr May26, 1931 2,057,980 Ringzelli Oct. 20, 1936 2,483,303 Rysick Sept. 27,1949 2,493,108 Casey Jan. 3, 1950 2,589,520 Wallenius Mar. 18, 19522,853,336 Cruikshank et al. Sept. 23, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 615,961Germany July 17, 1935

